Af/Pak & Other News (12/22/2020)

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Acting SecDef Miller Visits Troops in Afghanistan

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2020/12/acting-secdef-miller-visits-troops-afghanistan/170961/



Time to Make the Taliban Diplomatically Uncomfortable

https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/12/20/time-to-make-the-taliban-diplomatically-uncomfortable/



Journalism Watchdog Says Reprisal Killings Doubled In 2020, Cites Afghanistan As Hotspot

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/journalists-murdered-2020-cpj/31013096.html



Pakistan warns India against ‘false flag’ attacks in Kashmir

https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-india-kashmir-islamabad-c6ffad3af64682ce875d1e58790626a6









AK-47, ammunition part of drone drops from Pakistan recovered in Punjab

https://www.mid-day.com/articles/ak-47-ammunition-part-of-drone-drops-from-pakistan-recovered-in-punjab/23155212









3D Modeling Finds Surprising Source Of The Shots That Killed Iranian Nuclear Scientist

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2020/12/22/3d-modeling-finds-suprising-source-of-shots-that-killed-iranian-scientist/



Message To Iran: Navy Sends Guided-Missile Submarine On Rare Trip Into The Persian Gulf

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38326/message-to-iran-navy-sends-guided-missile-submarine-on-rare-trip-into-the-persian-gulf



Iranian Navy's largest Ship, I.R.I.N.S Makran, Observed On Sea Trials

http://www.hisutton.com/Irans-Navy-New-Ship-Makran-On-Sea-Trials.html



The U.S. Navy Is Surging A Lot Of Firepower Into The Persian Gulf—And It’s Not Clear Why

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/12/21/the-us-navy-is-surging-a-lot-of-firepower-into-the-persian-gulf-and-its-not-clear-why/



Iran Presses U.S. to Exit Iraq and Afghanistan, Maneuvers to Influence Both

https://www.newsweek.com/iran-presses-us-exit-iraq-afghanistan-maneuvers-influence-both-1556651









Will Iran’s threat to Israel from Iraq increase?

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2020/12/will-irans-threat-to-israel-from-iraq-increase.php



Iraq: The War On Joy

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/iraq/articles/20201222.aspx



How the Army Out-Innovated the Islamic State’s Drones

https://warontherocks.com/2020/12/how-the-army-out-innovated-the-islamic-states-drones/









Qatar Will Emerge From Saudi-Led Blockade With A More Powerful Military Than Ever

https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2020/12/22/qatar-will-emerge-from-saudi-led-blockade-with-a-more-powerful-military-than-ever/




Yemen rebels: Fighters shot down Saudi-run drone near border

https://apnews.com/article/yemen-iran-sanaa-saudi-arabia-dfd2e0a259646d7cbbc1c5942be30191









U.S. imposes fresh sanctions on Syria in push for Assad to end war

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-usa/u-s-imposes-fresh-sanctions-on-syria-in-push-for-assad-to-end-war-idUSKBN28W1VQ



A look at Russian and Iranian rivalry in Syria

https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/a-look-at-russian-and-iranian-rivalry-in-syria-42591









Israeli submarine reportedly crosses Suez Canal in ‘message’ to Iran

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-submarine-reportedly-crosses-suez-canal-in-message-to-iran/



Israel Shipyards starts construction of first African OPV-45 patrol boats

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/israel-shipyards-starts-construction-of-first-african-opv-45-patrol-boats









Has the EU lost Libya to Russia?

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2020/12/21/did-the-eu-lose-libya-to-russia




U.S. Aircraft Carrier, 2,500 Marines Off the Coast of Somalia as Pentagon Repositions Forces in Africa

https://news.usni.org/2020/12/21/u-s-aircraft-carrier-2500-marines-off-the-coast-of-somalia-as-pentagon-repositions-forces-in-africa




UN probe accuses Mali army of war crimes, armed groups of crimes against humanity

https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20201222-un-probe-accuses-mali-army-of-war-crimes-armed-groups-of-crimes-against-humanity




Russia sends 300 military instructors to Central African Republic

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55412720









Ukraine to buy Turkish warships, co-produce drones

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/12/21/ukraine-to-buy-turkish-warships-co-produce-drones/



The Soviet Union is long gone, but its aircraft carriers live on

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-soviet-union-is-long-gone-but-its-aircraft-carriers-live-on/ar-BB1c7JSK



Russia’s New Long-Endurance Arctic Research Vessel Might Be The Ugliest Ship We’ve Seen

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38332/russias-new-long-endurance-arctic-research-vessel-might-be-the-ugliest-ship-weve-seen



Putin signs law letting ex-presidents become senators for life

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-putin-senator/putin-signs-law-letting-ex-presidents-become-senators-for-life-idUSKBN28W1EN



Russia Hits EU Officials, Entities With Tit-For-Tat Navalny Sanctions

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-european-union-navalny-tit-for-tat-sanctions/31013414.html



Putin’s Former Filmmaker Arrested for Underwear Protest Outside the FSB Headquarters

https://news.yahoo.com/putin-former-filmmaker-arrested-underwear-150902585.html



Russian and Chinese bombers fly joint patrol over Pacific

https://apnews.com/article/beijing-vladimir-putin-moscow-russia-east-china-sea-dfe0b31a067eea6311109922c1c263aa




Russia prompts Sweden to revive its defense

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/530651-russia-prompts-sweden-to-revive-its-defense




Why German Troops Won’t Get Armed Drones

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2020/12/why-german-troops-wont-get-armed-drones/170965/




Commander Giacomo Iannelli, Leonardo Project Test Pilot, talks about complex, exciting lives of test pilots

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2020/12/giacomo-iannelli-leonardo-project-test-pilot.html




Airbus Delivers First A400M Airlifter to Belgian Air Force

https://defpost.com/airbus-delivers-first-a400m-airlifter-to-belgian-air-force/




UK selling off Sentinel and Sentry aircraft

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-selling-off-sentinel-and-sentry-aircraft/









U.S. sanctions top Nicaraguan officials, Cuban military-linked businesses

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/12/22/US-sanctions-top-Nicaraguan-officials-Cuban-military-linked-businesses/9961608620927/




Navy Warship’s Secret Mission Off West Africa Aims to Help Punish Venezuela

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/us/politics/navy-cape-verde-venezuela.html









China launches new Long March-8 rocket in step towards reusable space vehicles

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3114956/china-launches-new-long-march-8-rocket-step-towards-reusable



Beijing Ransacked Data as U.S. Sources Went Dark in China

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/22/china-us-data-intelligence-cybersecurity-xi-jinping/



Chinese PLA Troops in Tibet are Getting New QBU-191 Sniper Rifles

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/chinese-pla-troops-tibet-are-getting-new-qbu-191-sniper-rifles-174877



China can copy everything except aircraft engines. Why?

https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/2020/12/china-can-copy-everything-except-aircraft-engines-why/



AP Interview: China signals shift but no letup in Xinjiang

https://apnews.com/article/international-news-beijing-china-5ab65a3a2a64a3458cf998ce131c5f83



China’s Drive to Make Semiconductor Chips Is Failing

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/14/china-technology-sanctions-huawei-chips-semiconductors/



U.S. targets Chinese, Russian companies with military ties

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/12/21/US-targets-Chinese-Russian-companies-with-military-ties/3441608601711/





U.S., China Send Navies Into Contested Sea After Taiwan Show of Force

https://www.newsweek.com/us-china-send-navies-contested-sea-taiwan-show-force-1556585





FONOP: US destroyer sails past China’s Spratly Island artificial reef

https://defbrief.com/2020/12/22/fonop-us-destroyer-sails-past-chinas-spratly-island-artificial-reef/





North Korea: Minding Mines In Korea

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htpeace/articles/20201222.aspx



North Korea prison camp likely site of 'thousands' of deaths, report says

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2020/12/22/North-Korea-prison-camp-likely-site-of-thousands-of-deaths-report-says/7081608660392/





S.Korea scrambles jets as Chinese, Russian aircraft enter air defence zone

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-china-russia/s-korea-scrambles-jets-as-chinese-russian-aircraft-enter-air-defence-zone-idUSKBN28W139





Japan moves ahead with JNAAM co-development

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/japan-moves-ahead-with-jnaam-co-development










Dozens of West Point cadets caught in worst cheating scandal in decades

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/west-point-cheating-scandal/



U-2 makes rare flyover at the funeral of former CO of 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing

http://alert5.com/2020/12/21/u-2-makes-rare-flyover-at-the-funeral-of-former-co-of-9th-strategic-reconnaissance-wing/



F-35s, F-16 Aggressors, KC-135 Tankers Put On Impressive "Elephant Walk" In Alaska

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38358/f-35s-f-16-aggressors-kc-135-tankers-put-on-impressive-elephant-walk-in-alaska



SpaceX's Starship SN9 Rolling Out to Launch Site, Possible 2020 Launch

https://interestingengineering.com/spacexs-starship-sn9-rolling-out-to-launch-site-possible-2020-launch



Five Persistent Misconceptions About Modernizing The U.S. ICBM Force

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davedeptula/2020/12/22/five-persistent-misconceptions-about-modernizing-the-us-icbm-force/



Nexter's CAESAR joins pack competing in US Army's mobile howitzer shoot off

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/nexters-caesar-joins-pack-competing-in-us-armys-mobile-howitzer-shoot-off



Army long-range cannon gets direct hit on target 43 miles away

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/12/21/army-long-range-cannon-gets-direct-hit-on-target-43-miles-away/



The Army is going all-in on its souped-up new M1 Abrams tank

https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/army-m1-abrams-tank-m1a2c-contract/



Marine Corps builds tactical cyber force to help with growing threats

https://www.c4isrnet.com/cyber/2020/12/21/marine-corps-builds-tactical-cyber-force-to-help-with-growing-threats/



Air Force Research Lab demos ‘record-breaking’ scramjet and ‘high-speed’ warhead

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/air-force-research-lab-demos-record-breaking-scramjet-and-high-speed-warhead/141621.article



Roper: ARRW Hypersonic Missile Will Fly This Month

https://www.airforcemag.com/roper-arrw-hypersonic-missile-will-fly-this-month/



AF Says Lasers Are Being Field Tested, But NOT THOR Or Other Microwave Weapon

https://breakingdefense.com/2020/12/af-says-lasers-are-being-field-tested-but-not-thor-or-other-microwave-weapon/



The Navy's Wants To Go Back To Flying The C-130 Hercules As Its Next Doomsday Plane

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38345/the-navys-wants-to-go-back-to-the-flying-c-130-hercules-as-its-next-doomsday-plane



Northrop Grumman Receives U.S. Navy Contract for 19 GQM-163A Coyote Target Vehicles

https://defpost.com/northrop-grumman-receives-u-s-navy-contract-for-19-gqm-163a-coyote-target-vehicles/



Why The Navy Is Looking To End Carrier Qualifications Entirely For Its Pilots In Training

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38268/why-the-navy-is-looking-to-end-carrier-qualifications-entirely-for-its-pilots-in-training



New US joint naval strategy focuses on China

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/new-us-joint-naval-strategy-focuses-on-china



The Navy's newest carrier, once criticized as a 'floating barge,' may be ready for action sooner than expected

https://www.yahoo.com/news/navys-newest-carrier-once-criticized-130800016.html

[SolomonW]

On Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:48:09 -0800 (PST), dump...@hotmail.com wrote:

> 3D Modeling Finds Surprising Source Of The Shots That Killed Iranian Nuclear Scientist
>
> https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2020/12/22/3d-modeling-finds-suprising-source-of-shots-that-killed-iranian-scientist/

fasinating